Signal for mail-boxes.



E. C. PALMER.

SIGNAL FOR MAIL BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9. 1914.

Patented Aug. 10, 191.5.

EARL O. PALMER, OF PLEASANT HILL, OHIO.

SIGNAL FOR MAIL-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patents-d Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed November 9, 1914. Serial No. 871,082.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EARL C. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pleasant Hill, in the county of Miami and -State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signals for Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rural mail boxes, and has for its primary object the provision of a mail box provided with means for informing the rural carrier whether or not the box contains matter to be posted, and

for informing the owner of the box whether fir not the box contains matter intended for Another object of the invention is to have the door of the box connected by means of a pair of levers to a flag, thus providing for the automatic operation thereof.

Another object is to provide the box with a stop right, position.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fullydescr bed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mail box constructed in accordance with the invention showing the flag in its lowered position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showingthe flag in a raised position. 'Fig. 3 1s an end elevation, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the stop member.

Referring to the drawings by numerals,

1 designates a mail box which may be of the ordinary construction, and 2 a door which is hinged to one end thereof. 7 The improved signaling means comprises a rod 3 which is pivoted tothe side wall of the box. as at 4, and has secured at its upper end a flag 5. A pair of levers 6 and 7 are pivoted to the rod 3 and door 2, respectively, and are pivoted together at their inner ends as at -8. A stop member 9, having a beveled outer face 10, is secured to the box 1 in orderto hold the flag in an upright position.

When a postman desires to leave mail in the box, or when the owner of the box desires to leave mail for the postman, he first member for holding the flag in an up-- the box, closes the door, and positions the flag as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. If the postman collects matterfrom the box but does not have any matter to leave, and if the owner of the box collects the mail therefrom but has no mail to send, he will positionthe fia-g as shown in Fig.1 of the drawing. By this construction and opera tion it will be seen that both the postman and the owner of the box will be able to determine at a glance whether or not there is the necessity of looking within thebox.

By reference to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the bar 3 is constructed of rather light material and is of a flexible nature, so that when the flag is in the position as shown in Fig. 1 and it is desired to raise the same, the bar 3 will be swung upwardly, past the beveled face of the sto 9, and will spring past the end thereof an thus be held man upright position.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction and operation of the device will be clearly understood, and while I have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claim may import.

I claim:

The combination with a mail box and swinging closure therefor, of a highly resilient rod pivotally mounted on one side of said mail box, a signal plate attached to the H. V. Brenner, H. H. Brenner. 

